tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155557832014-12-08T19:07:37.986-08:00Foreign Object DamageFODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.comBlogger389125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-28227349210249805012014-05-23T08:24:00.001-07:002014-05-23T08:24:17.432-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">On Memorial Day<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">There are war monuments all across America. I’ve seen many of them. I make a point to look at them. The great monuments to the horse artillery that stand in front of the Capitol building in Washington show the energy and determination of the men in action. Some monuments are on the actual battlefields. The massive granite shrine that marks where Pennsylvania regiments stood at Gettysburg and the substantial, but simple markers that show where each brigade dug in on top of Kennesaw Mountain. (My great great Grandfather’s unit is listed there, the 3<sup>rd</sup> Texas Cavalry.) Small towns across America have war monuments too. It seems like every little town across the South has one in the town square or where the center of town used to be.&nbsp; These monuments are often a single soldier or just as often a simple obelisk with the names of the dead. When I look at these monuments, I’ve always thought of the men they memorialize. &nbsp;What they did, what it meant to their comrades, and what they gave for our country.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I saw a photograph of a monument that made me think of something else this year. The words were &nbsp;&nbsp;“Erected by the Ladies Memorial Association 1871.” &nbsp;Those simple words let me know that this was not a monument erected by the veterans as so many others. It was “Erected by the ladies…” Looking at this monument, for the first time, I didn’t think of the men. I thought of the women who missed them. The “ladies” were the wives, mothers, and sisters who would never see their loved ones again. In the years right after the war, when some had lost everything, they must have set about the task of building this monument with energy, love, and devotion. It became a memorial to their men and how much these men meant to them.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">When I think of what Memorial Day means, I think of the sacrifice of the fallen and what they did to shape and defend our nation. But I’ll also remember what else that sacrifice meant.&nbsp; That 150 years ago, the people who put up those monuments had suffered the loss on a personal level. &nbsp;&nbsp;From now on, I’ll look at the monuments they built and think not just of the soldiers, but of the people who loved them. Thank you ladies.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m2qZ2Chke40/U39mMjpzZ3I/AAAAAAAAAJk/EBeQ7F3zzAs/s1600/_MG_7319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo copyright Hannah Pop Rocki. Used with permission" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m2qZ2Chke40/U39mMjpzZ3I/AAAAAAAAAJk/EBeQ7F3zzAs/s1600/_MG_7319.jpg" height="213" title="Photo copyright Hannah Pop Rocki. Used with permission" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright Hannah Pop Rocki. Used with permission</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-49741709122663927762014-01-03T15:45:00.001-08:002014-01-03T15:45:26.084-08:00Village Voice and Glock AdvertisingNice.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJQjklQa_XE/UsdLie6-MBI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/ssWCeN7uoz4/s1600/villagevoiceglock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJQjklQa_XE/UsdLie6-MBI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/ssWCeN7uoz4/s320/villagevoiceglock.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-25260237893936529742014-01-03T15:12:00.001-08:002014-01-03T15:12:19.652-08:00Response from Senator Chambliss<div class="Normal-P"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dear </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Master Chief Petty Officer [FOD]</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">:</span></span> </div><br /><div class="Normal-P" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">for contacting me regarding the budget resolution and its unacceptable and disproportionate impact on military retirement cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. </span></span> </div><span class="Normal-H"> </span><br /><div class="Normal-P" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On December 19, 2013, the Senate passed H.J.Res.59, a step towards finalizing the first federal budget in four years. While </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I voted for final passage and </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">believe that this bipartisan budget deal is necessary to giving our federal agencies, and specifically the Department of Defense, the fiscal certainty needed to complete our vital missions and provide for our warfighters currently deployed in harm's way, I am deeply concerned about the impact it will have on military retirees. </span></span> </div><span class="Normal-H"> </span><br /><div class="Normal-P" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Section 403 of H.J.Res.59 imposes a one percent reduction on military retirement COLA for all retirees under the age of 62. Unlike </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">similar </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">provisions for their civilian federal employee counterparts, current military retirees are not grandfathered in, causing our veterans to bear a disproportionate burden of our deficit reduction. This is totally unacceptable.</span></span> </div><span class="Normal-H"> </span><br /><div class="Normal-P" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Therefore, I </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">introduced S.Res.323</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> on December 19, 2013, expressing the sense of the Senate that retirees from the Armed Forces should not unfairly bear the burden of excessive government spending. Military retirees earned the benefits they were promised upon entering military</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> service</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, and it is the duty of the Senate to protect them</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">T</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">he Senate should seek alternatives to the current military retirement provisions in the budget. I also intend to introduce legislation to fully repeal the military retiree COLA reductions and replace them with an equivalent offse</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">t from elsewhere in the budget.</span></span> </div><span class="Normal-H"> </span><br /><div class="Normal-P" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is important to remember that the current military COLA reduction provision does not take effect until December 1, 2015. I am committed to fully repeal</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ing</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> this inequitable section prior to 2015. I understand your concerns, and will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate continues to debate this important issue.</span></span> </div><br /><div class="Normal-P" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Normal-H"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: </span><a href="http://www.chambliss.senate.gov/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Hyperlink-H" style="font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none underline;"><span style="color: blue;">www.chambliss.senate.gov</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Please let me know whenever I may be of assistance.</span></span> </div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-42854124208485860702013-05-25T16:24:00.000-07:002013-05-25T16:24:04.597-07:00Memorial Day 2013My annual memorial day remembrance of the Navy cryptologists (cryptologic technicians) killed in action from the Cold War through the War on Terror in here.&nbsp; Sadly, there is a new name on the <a href="http://foreignobjectdamage.blogspot.com/2009/05/roll-of-fallen-on-memorial-day-we.html" target="_blank">roll of the fallen</a> this year.&nbsp; Chief Cryptologic Technician (Technical) (Information Dominance Warfare/Surface Warfare) Christian Pike was killed earlier this year.<br /><br />The special day is nice to have. It reminds those who never served of the sacrifices of those who paid the ultimate price for out freedoms.<br /><br />For those of us who served. We don't wait for a special day. We remember you.Often.<br />We went where you went. We did what you did. Maybe more. Maybe less. It could have been us.<br />But it was you. We remember you. Often. <br />We thank you.<br /><br />FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-6599718354785576612013-04-17T17:08:00.000-07:002013-04-17T17:08:13.926-07:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The President is Angry Again</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ron Fournier has written a <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/at-pivotal-point-in-presidency-obama-routed-on-gun-control-20130417" target="_blank">National Journal report</a> of today's defeat of some gun control legislation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reading it all the way through an thinking about writing a post to respond to some of his assertions.&nbsp; He blames the Senate Republican and the NRA, but almost gets it right, when he writes <i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It’s hard to overcome challenges that are inherent. While polls show broad support for background checks, they also show a deep distrust of Obama among conservative voters, particularly in red states. Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor’s supporters will tell you the only thing more dangerous than backing gun control in Arkansas is backing Obama—on anything"&nbsp; </i>But misses that <b>most "conservative voters" would support the President if he would simply take a position that they could support.</b>&nbsp; It's not personal with us.&nbsp; Really.&nbsp; Why is that so hard to believe?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could go on... but the point of this post is that today, April 17, 2013, our <a href="http://foreignobjectdamage.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-angry-president-does-it-concern.html" target="_blank">angry President is back.</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He hadn't been seen for a while.&nbsp; I don't know whether that because it wasn't reported or if the President has had his emotions in control for the past four years. &nbsp; But I'll make my original point again.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Doesn't sound very cool to me. I never before thought of the implications of having an angry President. Not comforting."</span><br /><br />FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-36999280702655080672013-04-14T10:30:00.001-07:002013-04-14T10:30:21.019-07:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Willy Victor Shootdown - Forty Four Years</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Lilyea at This Ain't Hell... has <a href="http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=34712" target="_blank">posted a nice memorial</a> to the Willy Victor crew killed 44 years ago by the North Koreans.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I learned something new - I never knew that April 15th was Kim Il Sung's birthday. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He does a good job putting it in the context of the Cold War and making it relevant to today's headlines.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lesson we learned from that shoot-down, one that was strongly emphasized in future Cold War reconnaissance missions, was that when you're flying close to a hostile, hair-trigger nation's airspace, where you are is not as important as where they think you are. That is, if their air defense system believes you have penetrated their country's sovereign air space, they just might try to kill you. The challenge was answering the question "where do they think we are and what do they intend to do about it?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://foreignobjectdamage.blogspot.com/2009/05/roll-of-fallen-on-memorial-day-we.html" target="_blank">My Memorial Day post from 2009</a> lists&nbsp;what I believe to be all Navy crypologists (Cryptologic Technicians, radio Marines, and officers) killed in action since the beginning of the Cold War. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rest in Peace guys. </span>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-80233475465409338282013-04-12T21:03:00.000-07:002013-04-12T21:03:24.221-07:00It's All About Control<br /><br />Imagine how a gay person might feel living in some state like Mississippi, Utah,&nbsp;or Florida where gay couples are banned from adopting children (until a recent court case overturned the Florida law).<br /><br />Imagine trying to defend against arguments why you shouldn't have the right to adopt a child. <br /><br />The people who would prohibit gay adoption, just want to "protect the children," of course. They want to legislate morality and&nbsp;gays have a lifestyle they disagree with.&nbsp; The don't understand the attraction. Besides,&nbsp;male pedophiles who molest young boys are, by definition, homosexuals. They say by putting innocent children in a home with homosexual, you're exposing them to potential child molesters.<br /><br />The law abiding gay guy is left defending himself with, "But I'm not a child molester. I&nbsp;would never harm a child."<br /><br />I think that if your first response in an argument&nbsp;has to be&nbsp;"I'm not a child molester," then the other side has&nbsp;put you at a serious disadvantage. The other sides&nbsp;whole premise may be wrong,&nbsp;projecting the intent and criminal acts of the mentally ill (or just evil) pedophile onto you.&nbsp;"Pedophiles&nbsp;like boys, you&nbsp;like boys,&nbsp;so you're the same as a pedophile."&nbsp;&nbsp; It's dishonest. It's a cheap shot. It plays on emotions of protecting the children. It equates a&nbsp;law abiding citizen to a criminal in order to advance a social agenda. <br /><br />Kinda like the gun control arguments.<br /><br />These legal moralists want to impose their values on the rest of the country. The don't approve of guns, they don't understand the attraction.&nbsp; They know the some people with guns commit horrible criminal acts agains the innocent. "Murderers use guns,&nbsp;you use guns,&nbsp;so you're the same as a murderer." <br /><br />Law abiding gun owners stand open mouthed in frustration, crying "but I'm not a murderer, I would never harm a child."&nbsp;Just like a gay guy wanting to adopt a child...<br /><br />The people who would prohibit gay adoption by a loving couple and the people who would&nbsp;restrict gun ownership by law abiding citizens usually come from two different ends of the political spectrum. But the arguments from both sides are equally dishonest, playing on emotions to advance their view of what a good society should be,&nbsp;imposing their values and restricting peoples liberty through the force of government.<br /><br />Gay bashers and gun grabbers. I think they have much more in common than they would ever admit.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-33334140149762906872013-04-12T09:51:00.001-07:002013-04-12T09:51:24.543-07:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">North Korea has a nuclear weapons delivery system</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">North Korean nuclear capability was inadvertently revealed this week when a congressman <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/12/north-korea-capable-arming-missile-with-nuclear-warhead-according-to-pentagon" target="_blank">read a portion of a DIA report</a> "<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">He said, reading from the report: "DIA assesses with moderate confidence the North currently has nuclear weapons capable of delivering by ballistic missiles, however the reliability will be low.'' <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">North Korea has announced their intent.&nbsp; Now they apparently have some capability.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">But policymakers are reduced to hedging about the reliability of their systems?&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hope is not a strategy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-45778694728592241592013-04-09T11:34:00.000-07:002013-04-09T11:44:18.198-07:00Chief Cryptologic Technician (Technical) (IDW/SW) Christian Michael Pike<br /><div class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1585218638190829868" itemprop="description articleBody"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BI4L-DhYEaw/UUNpU84hBGI/AAAAAAAAJqc/87bsYMyOeaQ/s1600/CTTC+PIKE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BI4L-DhYEaw/UUNpU84hBGI/AAAAAAAAJqc/87bsYMyOeaQ/s200/CTTC+PIKE.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>&nbsp;Chief Petty Officer Christian Michael Pike, 31, of Peoria, Arizona died March 13 in Landstuhl, Germany as a result of combat related injuries sustained on March 10 while conducting stability operations in Maiwand District, Afghanistan. He was assigned to West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Support Activity ONE.&nbsp; </div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cross posted from the <a href="http://navycaptain-therealnavy.blogspot.com/2013/03/chief-christian-michael-pike.html" target="_blank">Captain's blog</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For a roll of Navy Cryptologist killed since the beginning of the Cold War, <a href="http://foreignobjectdamage.blogspot.com/2009/05/roll-of-fallen-on-memorial-day-we.html" target="_blank">see my Memorial Day post from 2009</a>.&nbsp; Unfortunately, I have to&nbsp;keep adding names. Rest in Peace shipmates.&nbsp;</div></div><br />FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-10804091168103335412013-04-09T06:52:00.000-07:002013-04-09T06:52:40.940-07:00Do You Believe North Korea<br /><br />Via <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2013/04/09/video-north-korea-warns-foreigners-to-get-out-of-the-south/" target="_blank">HotAir</a>, CBS News<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57578571/north-korea-warns-foreigners-to-evacuate-the-south/" target="_blank"> reports</a> that "North Korea is urging all foreign companies and tourists in South Korea to evacuate or find out where they can take shelter because it says the rival Koreas are on the eve of a nuclear war. The new threat appeared to be an attempt to keep the region on tenterhooks over its intentions. <br /><br />Analysts see a direct attack on Seoul as extremely unlikely, and there are no overt signs that North Korea's 1.2 million-man army is readying for war, let alone a nuclear one."<br /><br />So telling people to evacuate or take cover is not an overt sign?&nbsp; Capability and intent. They have nuclear weapons, they are demonstrating intent.<br /><br />I remember reading the <a href="http://www.seraphicpress.com/stupid-jews/" target="_blank">words&nbsp;a&nbsp;Holocaust survivor had taught&nbsp;his son</a> about what he had learned <br /><br />"<em>When someone says they are going to kill you—you must believe them."</em>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-89124461949280129102012-05-28T07:40:00.001-07:002012-05-28T07:40:54.165-07:00<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:3}"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Memorial Day 2012 - Cryptologic Direct Support Team Lost off Vietnam</span></span><br /><br /><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:3}"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/e4/enterprise-viiic.htm" target="_blank">USS Enterprise</a>, "...at 0844 on 12 December <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1971</span>, a COD flight, Grumman C-2A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Greyhound </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(</span>BuNo 152793), Lieutenant Vetal C. LaMountain, Jr., pilot, and Lieutenant (jg) Gale V. Woolsey, Jr., co-pilot, VRC-50 Det Cubi Point, took off from Cubi Point, bound for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enterprise</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, routed</span> via Tan Son Nhut, for a “logistic support mission.” Two other crewmembers, <span style="letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">Airman</span> James M. Van Buswum, plane captain, and ABH3 Richard C. Gaynor, load master; together with six passengers, Petty Officer 1<sup>st</sup> Class <em>(He was a CTO1 ed.)</em> D.E. Dickerson, CTR1 Walter Ray Woods, CTM2 G.K. Zeller, CTO3 J.M. Coon, CTISN J.M. Deremigio and Seaman S.H. Elliott, were also on board. Flying across the South China Sea on Airway R68 the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Greyhound</i> reported in at 0927, having reached <i>Coral </i>Intersection, at approximately 13º07’N, 117º00’E. From 0941, however, nothing further was heard from the C-2A.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:3}" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We remember these men on Memorial Day.&nbsp; It was a CDSE (Cryptologic Direct Support Element) team. It started out as just&nbsp;a routine det like so many others. A young team flying out to meet their ship and get on with their mission.&nbsp; But it ended tragically.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><br /></div><div class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Regarding their memory.&nbsp; I visited the Wall&nbsp;this weekend and looked for them. They are not listed.&nbsp; <a href="http://declassifiedsecrets.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Some of their family members are trying to get this changed</a>&nbsp;and NSA is still keeping the&nbsp;mission classified.&nbsp;My assumption is that they were listed somehow as&nbsp;not "in theater."&nbsp;&nbsp;If you know something about their mission or the loss, or would like to help with the effort, try the contact info at the link for Dick Willis, Senior Analyst with Stanley Associates.</span></div><div class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><br /></div><div class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For a complete list of Navy Cryptologists killed since WWII, see my <a href="http://foreignobjectdamage.blogspot.com/2009/05/roll-of-fallen-on-memorial-day-we.html" target="_blank">Memorial Day post from 2009</a>.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-60650391982755254222011-11-15T21:12:00.000-08:002011-11-15T21:12:35.246-08:00Math is Hard<br /><br />There's a lot of news about how worried we are that the supercommittee can't find $1.2 trillion in federal budget cuts over the next ten years. <br /><br />I am surprised that the press reports don't mention the math...<br /><br />Over ten years, $1.2 trillion is $120 billion each year. <br /><br />The 2012 federal budget proposed by President Obama was $3.7 trillion. For one year.<br /><br />So to meet the goal - the supercommittee needs to make a cut of $120,000,000,000 out of $3,700,000,000,000. <br /><br />Go ahead and try 120/3700 on your calculator. The result I get is .0324.<br /><br />That a 3.24% budget cut across the entire government. Could you cut 3.24% of your household budget? I could... It would hurt a little, but it's doable. But it's apparently too hard for our elected officials.<br /><br />I know that things are exempt from the supercommittee's review. COLA for social security and federal retirees will add 3% or so this year to those payments. Also that the President's budget didn't pass. In fact no budget has passed. We're on continuing resolutions and mini-bus excursions. But those are details.<br /><br />The fact is that Washington finds it too hard to do something most any of us could do without yelling and screaming. <br /><br />Cut 3.24%. Everywhere. That they can't do it should be pointed out. Clearly. With the math. <br /><br />As the <a href="http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/127155/">Professor </a>says... "At the very least they should be mercilessly mocked."FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-57984906164669150532011-10-26T09:01:00.000-07:002011-10-26T09:01:07.130-07:00Progressive Taxes are Unfair<br /><br />Listening to the various discussions on the flat taxes and the national sales taxes I keep hearing how flat taxes are unfair to lower wage earners because they "impact" lower wage earners more. I used to get that... but now I'm not so sure. Here's how I see it...<br /><br />Work is work. Say I'm working hard for an hour, doing the best I can with the tools at my disposal to complete the task at hand. That task may be digging a ditch, waiting tables, fixing a pipe, or analyzing some numbers. Someone places a dollar value on an hour of work, and if I agree, I'll give them the outputs of my labor for that dollar value. Some work I'll get $10 an hour for, other work I'll get $50 an hour for. Most of us strive to enhance and apply our talents and tools to do something that will make us $50 an hour. This will allow us to better provide for our families. We don't all have the tools and talent to get there, but it's a goal. <br /><br />I also agree to let the government take part of that money I just worked for. <br /><br />Let's say we have a 10% flat tax.<br />If I earn $10 an hour, they take $1, or 6 minutes of my labor.<br />If I earn $20 an hour, they take $2, or 6 minutes of my labor.<br />If I earn $50 an hour, they take $5, or 6 minutes of my labor.<br /><br />That's fine. I earn more, so I can pay more in dollars, but it still "costs" me the same amount of effort to generate those dollars. Assuming I am creating value equal to those dollars, that is adding to the economic output of the nation. The more I earn per hour, the more I earn keep. It's linear. Sounds fair to me.<br /><br />But a "progressive" tax is different. Say we have tax rates of 10%, 20% and 30%.<br />If I earn $10 an hour, they take $1, or 6 minutes of my labor.<br />If I earn $20 an hour, they take $4, or 12 minutes of my labor.<br />If I earn $50 an hour, they take $15, or 18 minutes of my labor.<br /><br />This progressive tax rate is acceptable to some. I think it is based on the premise of what I have left over after the government taxes me. "Hey, if you earn $50 an hour, at a %10 tax rate, you still have $45. That's too much. We think you should be good with having $35."<br /><br />This line of thinking devalues my work. It means that the government must make a value judgement about my labor. It removes the incentive of striving to produce more value and to make more for myself. It takes away the fruits of my work in the name of fairness. But it is not fair.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-57717490758984376032011-10-21T21:53:00.000-07:002011-10-21T21:53:28.634-07:00Diversity<br /><br />Don't judge a book by its cover. Ya never know what someone's childhood was like...<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://parenting.failblog.org/2011/10/18/crazy-parenting-fails-take-cover/?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=sharewidget"><img class='event-item-lol-image' src='http://chzparentingfails.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/crazy-parenting-fails-take-cover.jpg' alt="crazy parenting fails - Take Cover!" title="crazy parenting fails - Take Cover!" height="600px" width="450px" /></a><br />see more <a href="http://parenting.failblog.org?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=sharewidget"></a>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-65927475537245807342011-08-12T12:21:00.000-07:002011-08-12T12:22:31.902-07:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Navy Ranks, Rates, Ratings, and Paygrades</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the enlisted branch of the Navy, a field of work or an occupation is called a rating. The ratings are abbreviated with two, sometime three letters. For example the Boatswain's Mate rating is abbreviated BM. The Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) is abbreviated CTI.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levels within the rating are called rates. The rate abbreviation is always added right after the rating abbreviation. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 - Petty Officer Third Class </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 - Petty Officer Second Class</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - Petty Officer First Class</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C - Chief Petty Officer</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CS - Senior Chief Petty Officer</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM - Master Chief Petty Officer</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So a Boatswain’s Mate second class is written BM2. Boatswain’s Mate is the rating and second class is the rate. The BM2 is also a PO2 or Petty Officer Second Class. In speaking, we don't mix the two - you're either a Boastswain's Mate second class or a Petty Officer Second Class. Never Boatswain's Mate Petty Officer Second Class. So remember, rating is the job or occupation, while rate corresponds to the grade of the person. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it's relatively easy to remember that a BM2 is a "Boatswain’s Mate second class," it can be confusing when someone becomes a Chief Petty Officer. It's written BMC, but a BMC is formally referred to as a Chief Boatswain's Mate or generally, Chief Petty Officer. Informally, one can say Chief, CPO, "a Boatswain's Mate Chief" or even BMC, but never Boatswain's Mate Chief Petty Officer. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This holds for Senior and Master Chiefs too. Even though it's written BMCS or BMCM, if you need to use the rating, they should be referred to as (among other things) Senior Chief Boatswain's Mate or Master Chief Boatswain's Mate. Not Boatswain's Mate Master Chief or Boatswain's Mate Master Chief Petty Officer, or, horribly wrong, Boatswain's Mate Chief, Master.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We should get it right.</span>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-6154331610250135162011-08-12T07:47:00.000-07:002011-08-12T09:35:23.947-07:00<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Navy Cryptologist Killed in Action</div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_Body_lblArticleContent">Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa. was killed in action <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_Body_lblArticleContent">on August 6, 2011 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down.&nbsp; Twenty-nine other US men were killed.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br />U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, told Pentagon reporters the mission was to stop Taliban fighters from fleeing in the Wardak province’s Tangi Valley.&nbsp;&nbsp; “As this mission unfolded, we saw some significant success occurring on the objective itself, but there were elements that were escaping,” Gen. Allen said. “And in the course of their [the enemy element] attempt to depart the objective, we committed a force to contain that element from getting out....in the process of that, the aircraft was struck by an RPG and crashed.”<span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_Body_lblArticleContent"> </span><br /><br /><span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_Body_lblArticleContent">Rest in Peace CTR1(EXW) Strange... </span></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br />From reports<br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14728">http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14728</a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/10/fatal-seal-mission-was-not-a-rescue/"><span id="goog_777723282"></span>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/10/fatal-seal-mission-was-not-a-rescue/ <span id="goog_777723283"></span></a></div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-42100239102217013142011-07-08T08:34:00.000-07:002011-07-08T08:34:52.972-07:00Civil Rights in Atlanta<br /><br />I was riding MARTA (the subway) in Atlanta yesterday when a new-looking sign showing prohibited items and activities caught my eye<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7gANEEwSb4/Thciw2lCcTI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aH3QsEc0bxY/s1600/IMG_1244%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7gANEEwSb4/Thciw2lCcTI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aH3QsEc0bxY/s400/IMG_1244%255B1%255D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Take a closer look at the "No Weapons" sign - it shows a handgun and a knife with the red prohibited slash through it...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V664bPE5q8s/Thci62YZlgI/AAAAAAAAAHM/-nNer5mNeCM/s1600/IMG_1245%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V664bPE5q8s/Thci62YZlgI/AAAAAAAAAHM/-nNer5mNeCM/s400/IMG_1245%255B1%255D.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />The message is that it is prohibited to Carry Weapons, but underneath in parentheses, in English and Spanish it says "(except firearms when carrying a valid permit)."<br /><br />People with Georgia carry permits should know this, but it's nice to see it on the sign.<br /><br />A small victory for civil rights in Georgia.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-49973705627483588052011-06-15T12:20:00.000-07:002011-06-15T12:26:48.976-07:00Global Warming or Cooling?<br /><br />Professor Reynolds notes the story about the impending ace age says <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/122501/">he'd prefer global warming.</a>I think I know why... <br /><br />As a professor might say... contrast and compare.<br /><br /><a href="http://snowboarding.transworld.net/files/2009/01/08/mgt_lakepers.jpg">Ice Age</a>...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ag-6jBBCh3w/TfkF0aq8zZI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vXLk9XZipg4/s1600/mgt_lakepers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ag-6jBBCh3w/TfkF0aq8zZI/AAAAAAAAAG8/vXLk9XZipg4/s400/mgt_lakepers.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/new_york_heat_wave_HzUc5j71ohXstU49SDcvBP?photo_num=6">Global Warming</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-jfZx572-U/TfkE2b2LBsI/AAAAAAAAAG0/VjyzxTyI3hE/s1600/coney_photos008--500x380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-jfZx572-U/TfkE2b2LBsI/AAAAAAAAAG0/VjyzxTyI3hE/s400/coney_photos008--500x380.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-57863649360105004152011-06-07T15:55:00.001-07:002011-06-07T15:55:14.174-07:00He Made it Worse<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SLnzZeMgkrk/Te6sHJzND5I/AAAAAAAAAGs/YC8hx7L1Wo4/s1600/OBworse.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SLnzZeMgkrk/Te6sHJzND5I/AAAAAAAAAGs/YC8hx7L1Wo4/s320/OBworse.gif" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-21995999292643344242011-05-29T05:53:00.000-07:002011-05-29T05:53:31.748-07:00On Memorial Day We Remember<br /><br />On <a href="http://www.imjinscout.com/EC-121_Shootdown.html">Monday, April 14, 1969 </a>at 5:00 PM EST (1544Z), a Navy EC-121M reconnaissance aircraft (PR-21/BuNo 135749) of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1) with a crew of 31, took off from Atsugi Naval Air Station, Japan on a routine Beggar Shadow SIGINT collection mission over the Sea of Japan. The EC-121M had been directed to proceed to a point off the Musu Peninsula, where the aircraft was to orbit for several hours along a 120-mile long track, then land at Osan Air Base in South Korea. <br /><br />This route had been flown by VQ-1 EC-121Ms for two years without incident, and the mission had been graded as being "minimal risk." Six hours after takeoff, the crew of the EC-121M transmitted a routine radio-teletype activity report at 11:00 PM EST, then disappeared off USAF radar screens at 11:50 PM EST, 90 miles southeast of the North Korean port of Chongjin. Air Force radars and USAFSS COMINT intercept operators in Korea had detected two NKAF MiGs flying towards the unarmed EC-121 prior the plane's disappearance. The USAFSS listening post at Osan attempted to warn the aircraft's commander by transmitting a mission abort signal at 11:46 PM EST. But the MiGs caught up with the slow flying aircraft as it turned for home 90 miles southeast of the North Korean port city of Chongjin.<br /><br />The MiGs shot the EC-121 down at 11:47 PM EST. All 31 crewmembers were killed, including nine NAVSECGRU cryptologists. They were<br /><br />CT3 Gary R. Ducharme, USN <br />CT3 John A. Miller, USN <br />CTI John H. Potts, USN <br />CTC Frederick A. Randall, USN <br />CTC Richard E. Smith, USN <br />CT3 Philip D. Sundby, USN <br />LT Robert F. Taylor, USN <br />CT2 Stephen J. Tesmer, USN <br />SSgt Hugh M. Lynch, USMC <br /><br /><br />For a full list of Naval Cryptologists lost in action since the end of World War II, <a href="http://foreignobjectdamage.blogspot.com/2009/05/roll-of-fallen-on-memorial-day-we.html">see my Memorial Day post from 2009</a>.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-9799720692090504932011-02-16T20:40:00.000-08:002011-02-16T20:41:40.403-08:00Gunny Hitler<br /><br /><a href="http://op-for.com/2011/02/gunny-hitler-2.html">H/T OPFOR</a>...<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u1FqzNliYz4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-38589354034758594162011-02-05T07:47:00.000-08:002011-02-05T07:47:50.446-08:00Just Sayin'<br /><br />I clicked on Instapundit's Amazon St. Valentine's Day <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/114418/">sale link</a> this morning.<br /><br />This knife holder guy, "The EX" caught my eye.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hTvr5YdIjv4/TU1wnKiFtAI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/0VrOZ0LWqho/s1600/amazonvdaysale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="306" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hTvr5YdIjv4/TU1wnKiFtAI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/0VrOZ0LWqho/s320/amazonvdaysale.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />Here's a closer view.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hTvr5YdIjv4/TU1wtK3LiNI/AAAAAAAAAGY/SfvtCHdxguU/s1600/EXknifeholder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="291" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hTvr5YdIjv4/TU1wtK3LiNI/AAAAAAAAAGY/SfvtCHdxguU/s320/EXknifeholder.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />I'm not offended. It's artsy and kinda cool. I could see how someone might like it, but it's a bit too ghoulish for my kitchen. I don't have an ex anyway.<br /><br />But do you think they would market this if the figure were a woman?<br /><br />Just sayin'FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-63457011781518060802011-01-11T06:25:00.000-08:002011-01-11T09:34:14.353-08:00More Violent Images in the Media<br /><br />The January 2011 issue of the American Society for Quality journal, <a href="http://asq.org/quality-progress/2011/01/mr-pareto-head.html">Quality Progress</a> shows their usual character, Mr. Pareto head, during the annual performance planning cycle. In the cartoon, managers have targets on their backs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hTvr5YdIjv4/TSxqCS6GwWI/AAAAAAAAAGA/W9zltNzs-1o/s1600/Jan2011%2BPareto%2BHead.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="187" width="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hTvr5YdIjv4/TSxqCS6GwWI/AAAAAAAAAGA/W9zltNzs-1o/s320/Jan2011%2BPareto%2BHead.gif" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />So next time some nut assaults his manager, we can blame it on the violent imagery in the Deming, Baldrige, six sigma, and total quality media. You know what scoundrels those industrial engineer and metrics types are.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-72295595373397716662011-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:002011-01-10T15:19:54.584-08:00Media Ignorance in Tucson<br /><br />A CBS News report headlined <b>"Erica Hill talks to 61-year-old Patricia Maisch, who grabbed the ammunition cartridge from the alleged gunman in the Tucson, Ariz. shooting rampage."<br /></b><br /><br />Erica Hill, does the intro to the interview, <i>"...about how she stepped in on Saturday, and grabbed the ammunition cartridge the alledged gunman could have reloaded. And it all happened of course in the middle of the chaos.<br /></i><br /><br />The 61-year-old Patricia Maisch describes not running, dropping to the ground, the woman next to her being shot, then the gunman on the ground, next to her and people saying "get the gun!" <br /><br />She continues "...he also <b>pulled out another magazine </b>out of his left pocket, which he dropped on the pavement and I was able to get before he did. At the same time another gentleman had picked up the gun, so he (Loughner) was secured."<br /><br />Hill, "So you got that ammunition? and We've heard accounts that he had up to 90 rounds of ammunition with him."<br /><br />Maisch, "I don't know..."<br /><br />Later in the interview Maisch remarks being on his (the gunman's legs), "...<b>after I got the clip</b>, he was struggling an kicking his legs, so I knelt on his leg..."<br /><br />So this elderly civilian knows it was a magazine, (or a clip - which is a common term ), but the person's who issupposed to informed us creates something called "an ammunition cartridge?"<br /><br />Ammunition cartridge means nothing. That's bad enough, couple it with her description of it as something the "gunman could have reloaded," reveals a lack of basic familiarity with firearms. <br /><br />Hill doesn't know how to properly describe what has happened, and for some reason, chooses not to use the (correct) words her interview subject has given her. <br /><br />With such a gap in knowledge, can she effectively report this story? I doubt it.<br /><br />The video is <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7230906n&tag=contentMain;contentBody">here</a>.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15555783.post-9130879325093144082011-01-02T11:15:00.000-08:002011-01-09T08:47:10.194-08:00Humorless Prigs<br /><br />That's my reaction to the <a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2010/12/raunchy-videos-starring-enterprise-skipper-come-light">story</a> that Captain Honors is in trouble for his XO Movie Night videos.<br /><br />The Virginian-Pilot has an <a href="http://hamptonroads.tv/hrtv.php?id=46530391&cid=omc">edited version</a>.<br /><br />The videos were made by Sailors at war. Sailors far from home doing dangerous work for long hours. <br /><br />The videos are funny and directed towards men and women who could use a laugh. (Yeah, the rectal probe was probably over the top, but I see it as the equivalent of when a comic gets an "oooh" for crossing the line in the middle of an otherwise hilarious routine.)<br /><br />Anyway, Lighten the fuck up.<br /><br />UPDATE: I posted that on Sunday morning. Little did I know that the humorless prigs would turn join forces with the spineless leadership of today's Navy. By Tuesday morning, Captain Honor had been relieved. Disgusting.<br /><br />More over at <a href="http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2011/01/inspector-renault-confronts-big-xo.html">Phib's</a>, <a href="http://www.neptunuslex.com/2011/01/04/public-opinion/">Lex</a>, <a href="http://blog.usni.org/2011/01/03/if-he-is-a-problem-then-we-have-a-problem/">USNI</a>, and <a href="http://ace.mu.nu/archives/310189.php">Ace of Spades</a>.<br /><br />UPDATE II: <a href="http://usfleetforces.blogspot.com/2011/01/uss-enterprise-recent-events.html">Admiral Harvey made the call</a>. Tough decision. I don't agree with it. I think the second and third order effects will be bad for the Navy. But it was his decision to make, if I were I CMC still I would support it. It's done. Aye, aye.<br /><br />One comment in the discussion stood out. I agree with it and it captures one of the reasons that so many folks came out to support the Captain.<br /><i>"My experience is that teams are built through emotional events; two of the strongest being pain and laughter. People coalesce around those with whom they bleed and those with whom they laugh. ... As Sailors, it is the laughter in pubs, engine rooms, berthing compartments, and even on the bridge, that make us feel part of something special. I care most about those with whom I've shared laughs and tears. Take that away and you've created a climate of cold professionalism which discourages the very relationships that build high performing teams. <br />...Humor has often been the subject of attack and yet humor is the vehicle which often drives the greatest change. Parody highlights the ridiculousness of situations that could not be addressed as readily or as effectively in normal conversation. ..." </i>These are true statements. There can be legitimate discussion about whether the senior leader should have a role in the parody, <a href="http://usfleetforces.blogspot.com/2011/01/uss-enterprise-recent-events.html?showComment=1294534669323#c2127189594717556926">That commenter had it right</a>.FODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926790302336719950noreply@blogger.com1